🔎 HOMESCHOOL RESEARCH & NEWS for December

On the third Tuesday of each month we post a quick roundup of some recent academic publications and news about homeschooling, offered for your interest. These are typically university research papers, and they may have a positive, negative, or neutral outlook on home education. The title links generally point to the full text of each publication, which is often a printable pdf file. In some cases, a paid subscription may be required to read the whole article. The article abstracts or introductions below are quoted in full whenever possible, without editing.

We have three items for the month, on homeschooling and mental well-being; homeschooling and human services; and homeschooling in the Middle East:

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(1) Homeschooling as a Chance for the Student’s Mental Well-Being? — E.A. Mazurek (2025)

Abstract: Homeschooling in Poland is a relatively recent phenomenon that elicits strong and often polarised reactions across different social groups. Proponents emphasise, above all, the individualisation of instruction, which is a defining feature of home education. Opponents, on the other hand, focus primarily on concerns about the potential for social maladjustment among homeschooled children. This context gives rise to a fundamental question about the nature and necessity of homeschooling—more specifically, about its potential benefits and limitations in supporting the mental well-being of students. The aim of this article is to address this issue. Some of the doubts surrounding this topic are clarified through a review of the relevant literature, which serves as a foundation for the analysis of the research problem. The conclusions presented herein are further supported by the results of original, objective qualitative research. In particular, the analysis draws on those aspects of the empirical findings that relate to the mental well-being of homeschooled students. As a result, the study presents an image of homeschooling as a practice that can foster students’ psychological well-being, especially in cases where this well-being was compromised during their time in the traditional school system. While the article does not exhaust the complexity of the issue, it offers a valuable starting point for further exploration of the mental well-being of students in the context of home education.

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(2) The New Homeschool Movement: What Human Services Professionals Need to Know — E. Prins & S. Shaw (2025)

Abstract: Homeschooling in its current form is a relatively new phenomenon, with its origins traced back to the 1970s. These demographic changes and current legislation present both strengths and challenges that the competent human services professional must be aware of. Familiarity with the history of homeschooling and current trends will help the human services worker place their experiences in the field within the larger homeschool landscape. This chapter provides an overview of the homeschooling movement, the increasing diversity of homeschool families (i.e., Black, Hispanic) and offers human services personnel an understanding of relevant legislation and guidance for effectively working with families.

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(3) Leading Homeschooling in the Gulf Region: Insights and Suggested Model — R. Sawalhi & F. Al-Maadheed (2025)

Abstract: This chapter provides an overview of the changing landscape of homeschooling within the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It describes the current state, challenges, and family experiences in the field through primary data obtained from a survey, surveys, interviews with parents who chose homeschooling in the region, and analysis of regional policies. While the Homeschooling domain in the Gcc is still developing, there are positive efforts from official educational authorities to address the diverse family needs across the region. Unlike trends witnessed in Western countries, thise chapter highlights Gulf-specific motivations such as lack of access to school and financial constraints. Key challenges identified were organizational ambiguity, lack of opportunities for socialization, and difficulties in accessing educational support in the Gulf. A model for home education is suggested in this chapter, stating the need to supply flexible resources and opportunities along with precise regulations.

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What interesting homeschool news and academic research have you come across this Orion Term? 🎓

❡ Explore more: If you’d like to investigate the academic literature on homeschooling more extensively, the best place to start is Google Scholar, the special academic search engine from Google. Just enter a search term or phrase of interest (“homeschool,” “unschooling,” “classical homeschooling,” “deschooling,” etc.), and Google Scholar will return a list of research publications that mention your topic. In addition, for research prior to 2020 in particular, see the comprehensive bibliographic essay by Kunzman & Gaither (2020), “Homeschooling: An Updated Comprehensive Survey of the Research.” 🔎

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